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Sunday, August 16, 2009

Hob Nob Heaven

That's right. Sitting here at the computer desk with my PG Tips and Hob Nobs, I'm in midnight snack heaven. Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, it's about scrumptious hot tea and cool cookies. It's about tastebuds reliving their past. It's about the end of any diet you may have thought you'd be on. For heaven's sake, if nothing else it's about CHOCOLATE!

I learned about McVitie's Hob Nobs while living and traveling in England shortly after college graduation. My friend Kevin introduced me to these, my best, teatime friends. They're sugar-laden, crunch, thick, round oatmeal cookies of three varieties: plain; with a milk-chocolate layer; or with a dark-chocolate layer. Dip them in your hot tea and the chocolate wants to melt away; the oatmeal immediately softens. It's a messy, scrumptious delight.

The problem is this: they're difficult to find here on the Central Coast. Morro Bay's now defunct British Store used to sell them, but the only other place I've seen them on sale in California is at Odyssey Video in Stinson Beach.

So, imagine my excitement when I asked the owner of Old Town Market in Orcutt if he carried them, had an interest in carrying them, or could at least order some to give it a go - and he agreed. OK, I was sort of excited, but when I actually had them in my hot little hands, oh, you could smell the chocolate melting before I got 'em home!

If you want to try them, I believe those I DIDN'T snatch from that first case are on the shelves at Old Town Market. If you can't find them and staff hasn't a clue what you're talking about, ask for the owners, Mark and Wendy Steller. They may know what happened to the rest of the stash.